In 2001, Ichiro Suzuki made his MLB debut for the Seattle Mariners. The first Japanese-born position player to make the majors also filled the Mariners celebrity void left by Alex Rodriguez, Ken Griffey Jr., and Randy Johnson, all of whom had recently departed Seattle. Off Ichiro. ", I'm just gonna leave this here. But when he met Ichiro in 2009, it was the Mariners legend who provided the classic moment. Hed just put the ball over there and it was an easy triple., By mastering a balanced, small-ball approach in a homer-happy epoch, Ichiro ushered in new defensive strategies, even as he simultaneously foiled them. My oh my! In this outtake clip from Janis Joplin: Little Girl Blue . Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. He hit in the batting cage underneath and he ran around the concourse in the upper deck for his running, Colborn recalls, laughing. David Niehaus had no idea who Janis Joplin was when they met in 1970 on Ipanema beach in Brazil, where both had traveled for Rio Carnival. Its tough to end things, and the way it ended, there's just no other way to do that. He found similar and prolonged success, racking up 16 home runs and 106 RBIs in his 2003 rookie season and then taking home World Series MVP honors in 2009. He had an ability to put the bat on the ball unlike anybody else, was one of the fastest players of his generation, could surprise you with his power at the plate, and was a human highlight film in right field whether it was due to his arm, glove, or otherworldly agility. Dave Niehaus, the voice of the Seattle Mariners since the team's inception in 1977, passed away on November 10th at his home in Bellevue, WA. By high school, he had also developed a contorted batting stance in which he picked up his front leg and moved it like a long, slow pendulum back toward the catcher, as T.R. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded Niehaus with ", Let's not forget this one either. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame a Legendary Mariners voice Niehaus passes away at the age of 75. You know how many times I saw Miguel Tejada field a ball and throw it? David Arnold Niehaus (February 19, 1935 - November 10, 2010) was an American sportscaster.He was the lead play-by-play announcer for the American League's Seattle Mariners from their inaugural season in 1977 until his death after the 2010 season. SEATTLE - Ichiro Suzuki's otherworldly talents made an early impression on Dave Niehaus, the Hall of Fame voice of the Seattle Mariners.During Suzuki's first month in just drops and shakes his head, Ichiro was the only one in the video not surprised by that throw, It was going to take a perfect throw to get me. 1. After smacking two doubles to left field, he stepped to the plate in the seventh inning, surveyed the diamond with his right arm perpendicular to the ground, and whipped his hands through a low fastball to lift a home run into the bullpen beyond the right-field wall. Honestly, I was scared. Bell says the roster was full of professional, consistent players, but adds, I wouldnt say there were guys that were superstar players or elite, unbelievable athletes. Ichiro was the exception. "Your future has possibilities that you cannot imagine, Ichiro said. How did he not tear the muscles in his entire body making that throw. "An absolute missile that was placed in the perfect spot to nail Terrance Long," Colby said of the play. One by one, Ichiro shared a message with each, blending in his trademark quick-wit humor with heartfelt respect. The Mariners and Athletics were locked in a scoreless affair until the eighth inning, when Ichiro led off with a pinch-hit single to left field, sparking a three-run rally. Hall of Fame broadcaster Dave Niehaus passed away on Wednesday in his Bellevue, Wash., home at the age of 75. Ichiro finished the year with 262 hits, a record that nobody has come close to touching since. same result as his first game as a member of the Mariners, Groz Remembers: Ichiros Star Wars throw in 2001. **, Press J to jump to the feed. He took 150 swings and never stepped out of the batters box, never said I need to get a blow, I need to get my breath, Im tired, Gillick says. It was the thing to do, Whiting says. That was a much better call. Then Ichiro clarified. Seattle won 40 games over the first two months of that season, leaning on free-agent additions like Boone and key veterans like Edgar Martinez. And Ichiro catapulted a team that was projected to finish third in its division to 116 wins and an unlikely place in MLB history. David Arnold Niehaus (February 19, 1935 - November 10, 2010) was an American sportscaster. [0:35 for exact replay]. By the time Melvin arrived in Seattle in 2003, Suzuki was already established as a star. [People] would pick up the newspaper and see Ichiro got two hits, and then several paragraphs down youd find out Seattle lost the game, he says. David Niehaus had no idea who Janis Joplin was when they first met in Brazil. I thought to myself if this is customary in America, I might not make it here. "Break out the rye bread and mustard, grandma! As a result, he substituted power for placement, lining, blooping, and grounding the ballhis body already a step out of the boxbefore beating out what appeared to be routine plays. If they're not careful he'll take third too. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! So embrace it by giving your best without imposing limits on yourself. That is absurd. In 2004, he did just that, passing Sisler on Oct. 1. I was shocked. talent - Ken Griffey Jr., Randy Johnson, Edgar Martinez, Alex Rodriguez, Ichiro Suzuki - with no World Series to show for it. It also helped that the Mariners and Orix had a working agreement in which Seattle shared commercial and marketing ideas in exchange for info about NPB players. ! Ichiro shouted, after which he allowed the eager audience to roar back and take in the moment. In 2008, the National Baseball Hall of Fame awarded Niehaus the Ford C. Frick Award, the highest honor for American baseball broadcasters. Watch a special tribute to 710 ESPN Seattle's The Groz featuring messages from members of the Seattle sports media to commemorate his 29 years as a daily host in the market. "And I've been doing this my entire adult life, been in the game close to 30 years and met and played with and against every great in my lifetime really and never met one quite like Ichiro.". MLBlogs: I think he liked that challenge and he was uniquely equipped to handle it, Stone says. He's saying the throw was a beautiful peg. All of them got their chance after Suzuki smashed the stereotypes that surrounded Japanese hitters. The M's will . Much like David Bells reaction when he caught Ichiros original Star Wars throw, the look on current Mariners third baseman Ryon Healys face tells the story. Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) was formed and charged with developing, building and managing the most comprehensive baseball experience available on the internet. Ichiro just defies what most athletes are capable of. They were in the middle of a nine-game road trip in which they would go 7-2 and grab a division lead they would never give up. Remember, we won 116 games that year. It is one of the best memories of my career, and I will never forget that feeling. They show that replay of it all the time because it was such a great tag, Bell says jokingly. Seahawks need him running to make playoffs, Watch: The Groz throws out the 1st pitch before Mariners-Astros game, Highlights from The Grozs last show on Bob, Groz and Tom, Watch: Members of the Seattle sports media pay tribute to The Groz, The Grozs final show on Bob, Groz and Tom airs Friday at noon. Tom Tango comes up with the idea of fun points based on fan polls to determine which players generate the most fun. If there's another challenge that's put in front of him, it would not surprise me if he was able to conquer that challenge.". When hes working, hes almost always in full uniform and going at maximum physical effort, whether running the bases, shagging fly balls or everything in between. His first signature highlight came on April 11 in Oakland. With 'beautiful peg' meaning great throw and he got him meaning well, he got him. Drayer: 10 months of preparation led up to Ichiros last two games, Ichiro came off the field one final time as a Seattle Mariners player on Thursday. Shift him all you want, Boone says. MLB.com features a stable of club beat reporters and award-winning national columnists, the largest contingent of baseball reporters under one roof, who deliver over 100 original articles every day. During Suzuki's first month in the majors in 2001, Niehaus narrated a throw by Suzuki from right field that nailed Terrence Long at third base. It just kept carrying, and youre waiting for it to bounce, and it just never did., Thats one of the greatest throws Ive ever seen in my life, Rizzs says. "I recorded [the 2001 All-Star Game] on VHS and watched it at least six or seven times as a kid, so Ichiro leading off by beating Randy to the bag stands out to me a lot," Ty said. SEATTLE On Saturday night, the Mariners will honor one of their own when they induct outfielder Ichiro Suzuki into the team's Hall of Fame before a scheduled game against . He was the lead playbyplay announcer for the American League's Seattle Mariners from their inaugural season in 1977 until his death after the 2010 season. Nicknamed Godzilla, the Yomiuri Giants outfielder had been Japans most prolific power hitter, superseding Ichiro in popularity thanks to his teams mainstream appeal. He also played for the Yankees and Marlins, albeit less prominently, and nine years in Japan before his MLB debut in 2001. He had a more avant-garde sense of fashion.. The passion with which you welcomed me back touched my heart. Its only fitting that two decades after Ichiro exploded onto the scene, Shohei Ohtani is having his own supernova MLB season. That is when fans started to pay attention to Ichiro., Pretty soon, everyone was paying attention to Ichiro. Piniella: Ive seen some pretty good arms. Ichiro is the first member added since 2015, and he joined an exclusive group that includes nine other members (in order of induction): Alvin Davis, Dave Niehaus, Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson, Dan Wilson, Ken Griffey Jr., Lou Piniella and Jamie Moyer, with all in attendance except Johnson and Piniella. With a late-season surge that rivaled some of the greatest in baseball history, the Mariners came from three games below .500 and a 13-game deficit in early August to secure a tie for the AL West with the California Angelsleading to a one-game playoff to determine the outright divisional champion.. Mariners fever was already in full bloom among the fans with . I'm not sure he threw that ball at an upward angle. He was the lead play-by-play announcer for the American League's Seattle Mariners from their inaugural season in 1977 until his death after the 2010 season. 0 Followers. (Simmons/News) By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Because we only got to see him in the postseason once, many of Ichiro's greatest moments came in the regular season. Associated Press. He stops the ball with the greatest of ease. From 2001-2010, Ichiro set a Major League record with 10 consecutive seasons of 200 or more hits. George Sisler of the St. Louis Browns had 257 hits for the St. Louis Browns in 1920, setting a major league record. George Sisler of the St. Louis Browns had 257 hits for the St. Louis Browns in 1920, setting a . Follow AzQuotes on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Ichiro, charging, fields a single cleanly, takes an abbreviated crow-hop and launches an absolute laser that never gets more than 10 feet off the ground, never takes a bounce and never forces third baseman David Bell to move his glove, other than to apply the tag to a stunned Long. As part of these punishing workouts, Ichiro honed his distinctive swing. Here is the top fun points seasons since the introduction of division play and the lowering of the mound in 1969: Fun Points per PA*, 1969-2022, 502 PA per . After returning home for dinner and schoolwork, hed work in the batting cage from 9:30 to 11. That changed after Ichiros breakthrough in the U.S. Matsui knew that the entire nation of Japan was looking at him, Whiting says. He followed up with a steal of second base in what was his first exposure on a big national stage in America. The manager gave me a big wet kiss. Lou kissed me right here on the cheek, Ichiro said. Over his first season in Seattle, the then-27-year-old erased any doubts about his transition from Nippon Professional Baseball to MLB. "Pow, he got him" combined with "pegged him". Bump & Stacy make their picks. Hes a thin, frail-looking guy. SEATTLE King's Court will be back in session this summer. That brought up pinch hitter Ramon Hernandez, who delivered a ground ball base hit to right. Seriously, who does that? If a skinny guy from Japan can compete in this uniform, and then stand before you tonight to accept this honor, then there is no reason you cannot do it either., You cheered loudly for me as a new player that first game 21 years ago -- and you never stopped, Ichiro said, becoming emotional. He was just this unique individual, the result of a very unusual set of circumstances.. Before I watch: Bo Jackson throw to home from warning track? **For the best user experience, we recommend disabling the Reddit redesign. By the All-Star break, it held a 19-game lead over the second-place As. By 2006, when an Ichiro-led Japan beat the United States in the World Baseball Classic, MLB managers and players had noticed a change. 2023 Bonneville International. By that time, it didnt look like this was this giant gamble., Over the next decade, as Ichiro extended his career in New York and Miami, the level of Japanese baseball continued to rise. 51) Ichiro will first be eligible for induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 2025. I believe that they represent a new way of thinking, a new philosophy that has arisen within Japanese society, and that this new philosophy will have a tremendous influence., As Whiting notes, because Ichiro played every day, he became daily national news, a sort of baseball emissary beating up American pitchers. The manager gave me a big wet kiss. The AL went on to win 4-1. I knew it was going to be special., Earlier in his courtship, Colborn had taken Ichiro to Peoria to tour the Mariners facility and visit Griffeys locker. Dave "The Groz" Grosby signed off as a full-time Seattle sports radio host Friday on Bob, Groz and Tom with visits from several notable names from his career. "This is truly devastating news," said Seattle Mariners chairman Howard Lincoln. SEATTLE (AP) Dave Niehaus, the Hall of Fame broadcaster who called Seattle Mariners' games from their first season through this year, has died of a heart attack. Get Social with AzQuotes. Suzuki carried the burden of an entire country in coming to America, and his success created opportunity for the countless others who have followed. That was the difference. Shannon Drayer hosts the Mariners pregame and postgame show for 710 ESPN Seattle and has been a Mariners beat reporter since 2003. But . Every day we present the best quotes! From the beginning: Hired to be the Mariners' play-by-play voice for their first season in 1977, Niehaus witnessed 5,284 of the team's 5,385 games. ", More AP baseball: www.apnews.com/tags/MLBbaseball. Niehaus died at his . After making adjustments in spring training, he revised his stance, keeping both feet on the ground to better catch up to fastballs. "I want to be like a researcher or a student of the game. Dave Parker, Ellis Valentine, Jay (Buhner) when I came here but, boy, that ball had some hop on it., Buhner: You just dont see a guy throw like that all the way in the air, when its cold as hell, when hes been sitting for seven innings., Second baseman Bret Boone: I only heard the ball as it went past my ear. The call by Dave Niehaus may be as good as . The Mariners were 60-102 that season and drew only 813,537 fans, the lowest full-season total in club history. When the Mariners were eliminated, current MLB vice president of international Jim Small couldnt help but notice Ichiros reaction on TV. Every time I faced him, our team would shift and theyd leave the gap between left and center, and that was easy money for him, says Santana, who now plays for the Royals and allowed the third most hits to Ichiro of any pitcher. Ichiro took this to a whole new level with this quote when asked what he will do once he is done playing baseball: There were a few moments where a rookie Ichiro's growing stardom expanded past the reaches of the Pacific Northwest. Youve got to be really, really good to break that mold., As Orixs pitching coach between 1990 and 1993, Jim Colborn remembers hearing Ichiros name echoing constantly throughout the organization. Feb 17, 2012 - Dave Niehaus. David Arnold Dave Niehaus (February 19, 1935 November 10, 2010) was an American sportscaster. Mines just as gold as yours, Boone says. 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